Knute Rockne invoked the health issues of his puerile son, a 6 year old supposedly expiring worlds away from the locker room where, as an overmatched football coach, Rockne desired to incite his squadron, a unit doubted by most against the pigskin army of Army, undoubtedly better, as signified by an untainted record. Rockne parlayed his son's health into motivation, that intangible of which the grandest men embrace, into a shocking victory, carved out for a child far from infirm. Betwixt this victory and the precedent set by winning for the ill George Gipp, less of an embellishment than the certified falsitude of the prior, Notre Dame employs a proud tradition in football and in mendacity.
Manti Te'o, gridiron warrior buoyed by public vibe and sentiment, has witnessed his white lie morph into an ivory palace of deception. But, as athletic director Jack Swarbrick affirmed in conference with the gullible press, a press that not only nibbled the bait, but swallowed the hook, the palace of deception has been erected for nearly a century, enclosed under a golden dome of mistruth.
Two incidents of suspected rape have been, effectively, downplayed through sleight of hand; The Fightin' Irish summon the press for a fictional woman, a teary and heartfelt affair, while Swarbrick neglects to summon tears nor words for violation of tangible flesh. The university habitually fails to understand:
“What is morally wrong can never be advantageous, even when it enables you to make some gain that you believe to be to your advantage. The mere act of believing that some wrongful course of action constitutes an advantage is pernicious.” -Cicero
I enjoy this, it is very much like Montaigne's style. I was a little lost in the beginning but Montaigne has that effect as well. I really dig that you are using a current event like Te'o's fake girlfriend and making it sound like Montaigne with a strong finish using Cicero at the end.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Mary! Your emulation is excellent, and you really channel Montaigne in your language and sentence structures. I think that choosing a current event as your topic and writing about it in a Montaigne-esque way made your essay very unique.
ReplyDeleteI must say that I had to look up every name you mentioned in this essay! That is very much like Montaigne I guess. You emulated his diction nearly spot on as well.
ReplyDeleteYou possess a strong moral focus in the essay and speak with purpose, as an essay should.
Matt, this was an excellent beginning. It seems like more of a parody than an emulation--I'm thinking of palace of deception as a kind of overblown metaphor that points out what you see as Montaigne's pomposity. But, that said, it's still an enjoyable read and the way in which you pivot--almost sonnet-like, from introduction to thesis, does indeed feel like Montaigne to me. There might be room for some context, and a bit more fun as you describe the actual situation, perhaps with another quotation or two. Also, isn't this situation a bit more complicated than you've laid out?
ReplyDeleteMythology is a great topic. Is mythology pernicious is a great question. This could be expanded and would probably land an audience on some sports website or another if you dialed back the M and dialed up the complexity.
DW